


Hwang Minhyun, Librarian-Detective

by overprimrose



Category: NU'EST
Genre: Bad Pickup Lines, Crack, Humor, M/M, Romance, Smut, bad attempts at being a detective, bad attempts at flirting, librarian! hwang minhyun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-11
Updated: 2020-03-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:01:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22942210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/overprimrose/pseuds/overprimrose
Summary: Aaron Kwak is up to something in Minhyun's library, and it's up to Minhyun to find out what.Or:“All right.” Minki steepled his fingers together. He fixed Minhyun with a hard stare.“It’s up to you to seduce Aaron’s true identity out of him.”
Relationships: Hwang Minhyun/Aaron Kwak | Aron
Comments: 8
Kudos: 55
Collections: Spring Blessings (Nu'est 8th Anniversary Fic Fest)





	Hwang Minhyun, Librarian-Detective

**Author's Note:**

> hi prompter! I hope you enjoy! also a big thank you to the spring blessings organizers !!
> 
> This has a bunch of references to different books and authors in it, but I tried to make it easy to follow whether you know them or not

Aaron understood himself better than he understood most other people. Such a thing was borne from the intricacies of his job; the introspection; the necessity of being meticulous. Those skills helped him, especially on a research-gathering trip like this, where Aaron needed to collect as much relevant information as possible in a relatively small slice of time. 

He had his strategies for such a thing. It wasn’t always easy, but Aaron understood himself well, quirks and all. In the shadowy, abandoned corner of a tiny library, he wore headphones but played no music through them.

It was this odd but normal occurrence that led to him overhearing a particular conversation.

Speaker #1: Hwang Minhyun. The hot, not-so-charismatic librarian, who possessed little in terms of a poker face despite not easily being startled. Or maybe that was wrong. Minhyun had a poker _face_ ; he didn’t have the rest of the guise. Aaron had tested him the first time he’d spoken with Minhyun, and Minhyun’s ears hadn’t cooled off until Aaron was long-gone.

Speaker #2: Choi Minki. Minhyun’s best friend. He stopped by the library daily but checked out no books, instead sitting at the counter and chatting away. An island like Ganghwa-do could only have so much gossip, but Minki sure enjoyed spreading it. Aaron sometimes jotted down particular phrases he said. For research. 

Speaker #3: A stranger, though Aaron would bet anything it was the slight, dark-haired man who often occupied one of the tiny library’s PCs. Aaron had never heard him speak until now.

Their conversation went as follows:

“I bet he’s a spy. He comes in here daily and  _ lurks,” _ Choi Minki hissed.

“Be quiet!” Hwang Minhyun.

“You said he’s American. He probably owns a gun!”

“He sounds American. I’m not used to tourists who speak Korean.”

“That’s why he’s a spy!”

“Or he’s just Korean?”

“Minhyun. How can you read all those stupid spy novels and not see the facts here? He’s from the American NIS.”

“You mean the CIA?” the unknown voice added.

“See? Jonghyun agrees with me!”

“Um, Minki—”

“He’s here because our island can see into North Korea, and America’s always doing their best to compare dick sizes. Now they’re dragging  _ our home  _ into it.”

“He’s at the library every day, Minki. If he’s trying to look at anything, he’d be staked out somewhere on the coast,” Minhyun said. “Besides, Aaron’s not cool enough to be a spy. Seriously. You’ll see.” Now Minhyun sounded exasperated. Aaron ducked his head further into his book to hide his wild smile. “He can also probably hear you.” 

“Why didn’t you say that earlier!” Minki hissed. His voice had dropped now, but was still crystal clear to Aaron. The library really wasn’t all that big. “And no good spy seems like a spy. You said he reads about the history of the island and  _ terrorism!” _

Aaron figured this was his cue to put the fear of God into Minhyun and his friends. He stood from the table, and his chair scraped against the stone floor. Minki made a fearful  _ meep  _ that Aaron took in stride.

He scooped the three books he’d been reading into his arms.

As libraries went, this one was infinitely tiny. The shelves stretched in rows a couple deep, and they’d crammed several tables in, some with desktop computers. The building dated much earlier than the library itself, which was painted all sorts of appealing bright colors. A poster on the wall celebrated the upcoming book clubs, a nearby white board had a welcoming message on it. From what Aaron understood, there was a second floor with a couple offices and a few meeting rooms for events.

A simple counter with a desktop rested against one wall. Minhyun was behind it. Aaron had had his reasons for coming here, but Minhyun was the best surprise he’d come up against since his arrival. True to form, Minhyun had a book next to him on the counter. Aaron spotted him reading more often than not here.

Right now, the book was firmly closed. Minki sat at a chair he’d pulled up beside the counter—earlier Aaron had caught his and Minhyun’s perpetual argument that  _ no, Minki, you can’t sit on my side of the counter that’s not allowed _ . Jonghyun was at the same PC he always sat at. 

“Nice book,” Aaron said as he dropped his onto the counter. The top one was titled  _ The Japanese Invasion of Ganghwa-Do _ .

“Uh, you too.” Despite that, Minhyun seemed slightly scared by Aaron’s choices. Cute. 

“I’m not checking these out, just returning them. Do you like what you’re reading?”

“It’s by my favorite author,” Minhyun said. “Kwak Youngmin. Really good, if you like thrillers.” His cheeks had gone red, which was both distracting and wonderful.

Aaron picked it up, as though he didn’t already know the cover and the back cover blurb by heart. STAND DOWN was stamped in red across the cover, and in the darkness below, a hand was cupped around a simple silver-banded ring. 

He went to pass it back to Minhyun, but didn’t let go of the book when Minhyun tried to take it. 

“You know,” Aaron said, when they were both holding the book. “I’m like a good thriller. Once you start me, you won’t want to stop.”

A month ago, his pickup lines incited speechlessness and flushed ears. Now Aaron only got the flushed ears. “Get out of my library,” Minhyun said. 

Aaron laughed to himself as he left.

MINHYUN

“You didn’t say he flirts with you?” Minki said, as soon as the glass door shut behind Aaron.

“He does that every day,” Jonghyun said. “Haven’t you noticed?” 

“Yeah, see?” Minhyun said. “Aaron’s not a spy. He’s an annoying tourist with some weird interests who can’t take a hint.”

“A tourist who comes to the library?”

“That’s what makes him annoying. He puts himself near me.”

“Things don’t make sense, though,” Minki said. “Okay, so say he’s in Korea for research. Why our library? Why not in Seoul? Minhyun. What do you even read these books for if you’re going to ignore the mystery right in front of you!”

Minki gestured at the book on the library’s counter. Minhyun’s bookmark was halfway through it. It was a cute bookmark, with a little fox on it.

The book itself was called  _ Stand Down _ . It was by Minhyun’s favorite author, a thriller in a long series with detective Joel Lee at its center. Joel had begun the series as a normal Korean American man from California when his best friend was murdered. The police had been quick to write it off as gang activity in the heart of Los Angeles, but Joel searched out the killer and exposed a plot that spanned all the way from Los Angeles to Seoul.

In  _ Stand Down _ Joel faced a serial killer with a habit of leaving a silver ring in his victims’ mouth. They expected the serial killer’s next target to be Joel’s impressive coworker, Jimin Park, who’d nearly ended the serial killer’s run several years prior. So far, Jimin wasn’t handling being cooped up under Joel’s protection well. Minhyun was hoping this tension would finally be the thing that made Joel admit he was hopelessly in love with her. 

“What would Joel Lee do?” Minki asked. “Would he think that Aaron Kwak is just some random tourist?”

Joel Lee would throw himself into Aaron’s life with the subtlety of an approaching mountain lion. He’d gather the clues, expose Aaron and his plot, and finally, get the girl—or guy. (He wasn’t much one to settle down, but Minhyun still had hopes about him and Jimin. They were different. They had something special.)

“I’ll do it,” Minhyun said. Then he paused. “What am I doing?”

“All right.” Minki leaned in, conspiratorially. Minhyun and Jonghyun did too, though Minhyun knew Jonghyun well enough that he was certain he was only joining them so he could watch Minki’s plan ignite into flames. 

Minki steepled his fingers together. He fixed Minhyun with a hard stare.

“It’s up to you to seduce Aaron’s true identity out of him.”

This was just like in  _ Shadow Dealer _ , when Joel Lee had to go undercover. He and Jimin had acted as beautiful married assassins as they’d snuck into a party for international arms dealers. In an attempt to throw the arms dealers’ off, Joel had seduced the rugged, tattooed Big Matthew and betrayed his ‘wife,’ thus inciting Jimin’s revenge. She’d pursued Big Matthew, who the arms dealers had vested interest in protecting, while Joel narrowed in on the stolen military technology, capable of taking out a large city or small country. 

Only Jimin’s brilliance and the sudden, surprise aid of Big Matthew, who had fallen in love with Joel overnight, enabled his escape.

Aaron was standing at the library counter. He had a hand resting on the navy top. Previously, Minhuyn hadn’t bothered to note much about Aaron’s overall appearance. He was smaller than Minhyun, but most people were. He had dark hair that he kept pretty short, and often wore a cap over it. Now that Minhyun had a reason to look, he found it harder to look away than he would have liked. Aaron was handsome. 

What was he hiding?

Minhyun could say what he wasn’t hiding a lot more easily. Shamelessly, Aaron made a show of how he ran his eyes over Minhyun. Like he was checking him out, which was stupid, because the counter was in between them, and it came up to Minhyun’s belly button. 

“Is there a reason you’re staring, Mr. Kwak?”

“You seem different today,” Aaron said. “And I have a question.”

“Really?” Minhyun squeaked. Something grabbed his ankle from under his counter, and Minhyun jumped three feet into the air.

He looked down. Minki had stuck his head out from under the counter. He was lying flat on his stomach, one hand still wrapped around Minhyun’s ankle. “Act natural!” he mouthed.

“Are you okay?” Aaron asked. His thick eyebrows drew together. 

“I’m totally fine. Absolutely perfect.” He weighed the pros and cons of stepping on Minki.

“In that case…” Aaron nodded toward the library’s perpetually empty dry erase announcement board. “What’s that about?”

Minhyun looked over at it. He kept the markers behind the desk, to prevent passing hooligans (Dongho and Minki) from desecrating it. The last time they’d gotten into the markers Dongho had convinced Minki to try coating the entire board in color. They’d gone through the ink of four markers before finally being apprehended.

Clearly, someone had gotten into the markers again. 

‘Will Minhyun Succeed?’ it read. Under it was a simple T-chart with ‘Yes’ on one side, and ‘No’ on the other.

‘No’ was winning, three tally marks to zero.

“What are you trying to do?” Aaron asked.

Minhyun was going to kill his friends.

“Oh, it’s, um, it’s complicated. I—yeah. Yeah.”

Aaron laughed openly at that. From under Minhyun’s desk, Minki groaned. Loudly.

“Is…is something under your desk?” Aaron asked.

Minki dug his claws into his ankle. Minhyun suppressed a wince. “No,” he said. “Pfft. Who would be under my desk? I don’t even let people who don’t work here on this side of the desk, let alone under it.”

“Right.” 

The problem with emulating Joel Lee was that Joel worked like a mountain lion; he was subtle, and by the time you saw him, it was too late. Minhyun worked like a low-speed freight train. 

Aaron looked back toward the board. Minki gave Minhyun either a thumbs up or a thumbs down. With his current position on the floor, Minhyun couldn’t tell which. He took it as a sign that he was doing well.

“Can I have a marker?” Aaron asked. Minhyun opened the correct drawer. He noted that his black one was missing and mentally glowered. It had probably been Jonghyun. He had a thing for bets. 

Minhyun handed Aaron the red marker. 

“I believe in you,” Aaron said. He put a red line under the ‘yes’ column. The marker was new, and wet. The number stood out as starkly as blood against the stained white. 

“Do you need anything else, Aaron?” Minhyun asked. He had been going for a normal-ish tone, and was well aware he didn’t manage it. When Aaron passed the marker back, their hands brushed against each other.

“Are you still reading that book?”

“ _ Stand Down _ ?” Minhyun asked. He held it up from where it was sitting beside his keyboard, a little lower than what Aaron could see. “I’m only halfway.” He turned it so Aaron could see the bookmark.

“Is that a fox?”

“Yes!” Minhyun loved it when people complimented his bookmarks.

“It fits you,” Aaron said.

“I look like a fox, right?” Minhyun especially loved it when people told him he looked like a fox. 

“You do have something sneaky about you,” Aaron said. Again, his eyes moved like they were trailing over Minhyun’s entire body, and Minhyun’s face burned like Aaron was seeing something more than belly-button up. “It’s like I’ve been saying: you’re written in fine print.” 

Minhyun’s lip twitched. “Did you just call me small?” he asked. “Because...”

“You wound me,” Aaron said dryly. “I’ve been making my very best of literature-related humor to you, and you come back with a short joke. Besides”--Aaron leaned in conspiratorially-- “I’m not small where it really matters.” 

Minhyun would  _ not  _ look down. He would  _ not _ . 

“The more you say stuff like that, the more I think you only come here for me.”

Aaron laughed. “I need the research. But the truth is, I don’t know what exactly I’m looking for. The best thing I’ve found so far is you.”

“You’re talking about me like I’m a book.”

“No, no,” Aaron said. “You don’t get it. I’m the book. You’re the bestseller list.” Aaron leaned in closer. “I want to be on you for weeks.”

Minhyun crossed his arms in front of his chest like he needed to physically protect himself from Aaron’s flirting. “This is a library, Mr. Kwak,” he huffed. “You can’t say stuff like that here. What if there are children?”

“Does it make you uncomfortable?”

“Yes!”

Aaron chuckled. “Then I’ll go read for a bit,” he said. “In the back. In the dark corner. You know, just in case you want to join me.”

“Say something like that to me again, and I’ll ban you from the library. This is a public place! You can’t say whatever you want here!”

“And what did I say?” Aaron asked. “I just told you what table I’d be at.”

“Just go away.” This entire idea was a mistake. Aaron was not worth Minhyun’s time, and therefore neither were his secrets.

Aaron didn’t seem too worried. He had the audacity to wink as he finally left Minhyun’s counter.

Minhyun counted to ten, until Aaron was safely among the shelves, heading in the direction he’d promised. Then he sank onto the floor. He sat with his back against the counter and his knees bent to his chest. Minki sat beside him.

“That was painful,” Minki said.

“Shut up, like you were any help! I can’t believe you saw Aaron coming and got on the floor. _Behind my_ _desk_!”

“We’re putting the safety of our entire country on the back of your ability to flirt, and you’re blowing it.”

“I still don’t think Aaron’s capable of being a spy.”

Minki waved Minhyun’s (very valid) opinions off. “I got you something. I meant to give it to you earlier, but then the spy got here.”

Minki pulled a small bracelet from his pocket. The cheap plastic beads gleamed on their elastic string as he fished it out. He dropped the whole thing into Minhyun’s open palm. The beads were a rainbow of color, offset by five square white beads all in a row. 

“You got me a bracelet?” Minhyun turned it over to look at the white beads and saw that four had letters on them, while the fifth had a question mark.

The beads read: WWJD?

“What would Joel do,” Minki explained. He pointed at each letter as he said each word. “It’ll remind you to be clever and sexy when you’re flirting with Aaron and  _ saving Korea _ .”

Minhyun ran his finger over the slight indents of the black font. Tiny metal crosses sandwiched the letters between them.

“Is this a ‘What Would Jesus Do?’ bracelet?” Minhyun asked.

“ _ Joel _ . What would  _ Joel _ do.”

“There are  _ crosses _ on it.”

“You always describe reading those dumb books like they’re a religious experience, and not just weird books about crime and an absurdly sexy detective. This fits.”

Minhyun rolled his eyes, but he let Minki put the bracelet on him. “So what do I do?” he asked.

“Give it a little time,” Minki said. “Be suave. Play it cool. Then next time Aaron flirts with you, get him to really ask you out.”

“This is just like in  _ Strange Bird _ , when Joel—”

The bell on Minhyun’s desk chimed, and he shot Minki a panicked look before jumping to his feet. Jonghyun was standing there.

“Oh, it’s you,” Minhyun said. “You have a computer at your apartment, you know.”

“I come here for company.”

“You put headphones in and ignore me for hours.”

“Only when I regret coming here for company.” 

“It certainly doesn’t stop you,” Minhyun grumbled. Minki popped up beside him, and Jonghyun jerked back.

“We have to remember this when Dongho comes in next,” Minki said. He clearly relished that he’d gotten Jonghyun to jump. “He’d get so scared.”

“Be careful or I’ll tell him to do it to you,” Minhyun said. “And get out from behind my desk.”

“Eventful morning?” Jonghyun guessed. Minki went over the desk rather than around it. He nearly kicked  _ Stand Down _ onto the floor.

“The spy offered to screw Minhyun in the back of the library.”

Jonghyun looked at Minhyun with raised eyebrows. “He was joking,” Minhyun clarified.

“But  _ was _ he?” Minki asked. He wiggled his eyebrows. “He’s so suspicious.”

Just then, there was a crash and a muffled curse from the back of the library. Minhyun looked at Minki.

“Go help him,” Minki hissed. “Seduce him.  _ What would Joel do?” _

This was a bad idea.

Minhyun peered around the stack of books where Aaron normally sat. He liked to pick the table nearest to the thrillers, even though he seemed to only read nonfiction.

“Are you okay?” he asked. Aaron was on the floor under his desk, collecting books that had dropped onto the ground. His head shot up and nearly collided with the bottom of the table. 

“Minhyun!” he said. “I stacked everything a little too high, I think. Haha.” 

Minhyun grabbed that had bounced in his direction off the floor. He only meant to drop it on Aaron’s table, but a single glance at the title changed his plans.

_ Common Compositions of Bombs _

“This isn’t from the library,” he said. “Why do you have this?” It was a thin book with a worn red cover and a mushroom cloud on the front. Not even Joel Lee had dealt with bombs before. Minhyun didn’t have a book to guide him here.

Aaron came out from under the desk with an armful of books. He had a sheepish look on, and his hair was mussed. 

For the first time, Minhyun looked at him and wondered if he truly was a man capable of hurting people. Maybe Minhyun should call the police. He could be harboring some type of criminal in his library, and even  _ assisting _ him as he researched all these various illegal topics. And with how much Aaron had read previously about the history of Ganghwa-do, he likely knew his way around the island.

“I like to read broadly,” Aaron said. He was skirting the question, Minhyun realized. Aaron held out a hand for the book, and Minhyun reluctantly returned it to him. “And it’s mine. I brought it with me.”

What kind of person owned a book about  _ bombs?  _

The other books Aaron had set on the table were about the effects of fire, particularly arson. It was time for Minhyun to call the cops on Aaron’s flirty, dangerous ass.

But as Minhyun passed the book over, he caught sight of the bracelet on his wrist.

Joel wouldn’t turn a case the police couldn’t solve over to them. He’d fight for what he believed in, and the thing Minhyun believed in was that no one, especially not this Aaron Kwak, was allowed to hurt his home.

Aaron was staring at him, even as he reorganized his books.

“Mind if I join you?” Minhyun asked. “It’s quiet here today.”

“Do you want to? You threatened to ban me thirty minutes ago.”

“You were flirting with me!”

“You also said you’d never come back here with me.”

“You insinuated that we’d defile the library! This is right next to the  _ children’s section _ .” Technically, with the children’s section right near the middle of the library, it was hard not to be next to it. 

“That was all you,” Aaron retorted. “I’ve been flirting with you for a month. You’ve never gotten that upset before.”

This was it. Minhyun’s heart slammed against his chest. He could do this. He was going to make Joel Lee proud. 

“I don’t like when people flirt with me but don’t mean it,” he said. “Either ask me out already or cut it out.” Minhyun tried to look alluring. He sank down into the seat across from Aaron. The book in front of him was titled  _ Burn Baby Burn _ . It only scared Minhyun a little.

“You want to go out with me?” A smile slowly spread across Aaron’s face. It was a devious kind. The kind that suggested Minhyun was falling into some trap. Or at least, Aaron thought he was. He didn’t know that Minhyun had his own ongoing investigation.

“You’re interesting,” Minhyun said. “I want to know more about you.”

“In that case, how about dinner somewhere?” Aaron asked. “And I’m an open book. Ask me whatever you’d like.” 

Liar. 

MINHYUN’S OBSERVATION NOTEBOOK

(Yes, Minhyun had an observation notebook. He took Joel-Lee-related things seriously. He also took possible terrorism seriously. The notebook was necessary.) 

Fact 1: Aaron Kwak is up to something suspicious.

Fact 2: Aaron Kwak is up to something suspicious in Minhyun’s library, and therefore Minhyun must stop him.

Fact 3: Aaron’s smile made Minhyun’s heart flutter. This would be a problem, except Aaron then proceeded to ruin everything by saying, “are you a wifi hotspot? Because I’m feeling a connection, and you’re smoking.” 

  
  


Aaron let Minhyun choose the restaurant. He asked Minhyun to show him somewhere the locals actually liked and wasn’t only for the tourists, and Minhyun chose a casual place that fit the bill but was surprisingly close to the Ganghwa-daero bridge. The only reason it still remained a place mainly for locals was that it had little to no parking. Most people who crossed that bridge struggled to find the lot at all. 

Minhyun chose it for a couple reasons. One, he truly did love the place, which had the best pork rib he’d ever tasted. Two, he knew the couple who ran it quite well, so it wasn’t like Minhyun was going off truly alone with Aaron. 

The restaurant had glass doors and wooden seats. It mostly attracted families, and some of the local children greeted Minhyun as he and Aaron entered. One of the greater benefits of his job was that the children on the island adored him. 

Aaron got on the level of a toddler and waved to her. She waved back, and Aaron told her hello. She was too shy to answer, instead running back toward her parents, who sat at a table nearby. Minhyun was kind-of glad. He wasn’t comfortable with Aaron interacting with the children. 

“This place seems great,” Aaron said, as they took their seats. His smile had gained an extra dose of radiance. He must like kids. Minhyun would remember to write that down later. 

“It’s not too casual?” Minhyun asked. “I was worried.” 

“I was worried you’d pick somewhere too fancy,” Aaron countered. “This seems perfect. A big part of the reason I’m in Ganghwa-do is to see places like this.” 

“Is your family from here?” Minhyun guessed. They occasionally had younger visitors who visited because their parents or grandparents had grown up here. The later generations came in search of a piece of the past. Considering the ever-easier routes between Incheon and Ganghwa-do, Minhyun wasn’t certain whether they ever found what they wanted.

“No,” Aaron said. “It’s just a fascinating place, isn’t it? It caught my eye.” 

“If you say so.” 

“It must have caught yours too. You stayed here.” 

“The library needed me,” Minhyun said defensively. It wasn’t all that long ago that Dongho had moved to Seoul, and Minhyun had had to question why he didn't want to. “And it’s not nearly as far from Incheon and some people like to pretend.” 

Aaron was listening very attentively. Almost too attentively. Minhyun was reminded again that he didn’t trust Aaron as far as he could lob him. 

Then Aaron said, “I didn’t mean to hit a nerve,” and Minhyun’s anger deflated almost before he realized it was there. 

“It’s fine,” Minhyun said. “What about you? Where are you from, I mean.” 

“Los Angeles.” 

Minhyun, like any good detective, did not believe in coincidence. This would also be going into his observation notebook later. 

“My favorite book character is from there,” Minhyun said. 

“Joel Lee?” 

“Oh, you’re familiar with Kwak Youngmin’s books?” 

“Who isn’t?” Aaron asked. “I’ve been asking you about  _ Stand Down _ for days now, ever since you started it.”

“You’ve read it?” 

“Everyone’s read it.” 

“You’d be surprised,” Minhyun said. He pouted. “I’ve been trying to get my friends to read them for years.” 

Aaron chuckled. “Nothing’s harder than that.”

He wasn’t wrong. Minhyun rarely spoke to anyone who read books like he did. It was thrilling to speak to another reader who was on his level. Even within the nitty-gritty, the intricacies Minhyun was aware of only because he helped decide which books the library bought, and therefore which authors they supported, Aaron matched him beat for beat. 

As they ate their pork ribs, the conversation was filled with favorite books and what authors were worth reading and  _ ‘did you hear about what A.J Finn did? He’s such a dick.’  _ Aaron even brought up the trailer for the movie adaptation of Finn’s work and they lamented over the fact that it looked good because it always sucked when shitty people made good art. 

Even caught up in conversation, even having the time of his life with this possibly-dangerous, definitely-annoying man, Minhyun did not forget his task. He tested Aaron subtly--Aaron’s prowess about the world of books and publishing proved he truly did read as much as he said. Here, at least, there were no secrets. 

A.J. Finn, too, was a test. Not only to see whether Aaron knew as much as he pretended to, but also because A.J. Finn had lied and lied and lied to scrape out a career for himself while ignoring all those he harmed in the process. Minhyun wanted to see whether it tripped up Aaron, their favorite potentially lying Secret Agent. 

But Aaron was quick to denounce Finn and passed with flying colors. Minhyun found more comfort in that than he should have, maybe, or perhaps he’d only enjoyed the camaraderie of mutual hate toward a person neither of them had ever met. 

Whatever the case, talking to Aaron was so much fun that Minhyun didn’t even mind near the end of the meal, when Aaron reverted back to his normal, juvenile self. Minhyun had been throwing out glowing praises for everything Kwak Youngmin had ever written, and admitted he owned hardcovers of the entire series. Aaron then proceeded to lean forward, lower his voice, and say, “if you come home with me, I’ll give you a look at my hardcover.” 

Minhyun certainly didn’t say he’d take Aaron up on that, but he did laugh. Those weren’t the same thing, but they were perhaps closer than they should have been.

“What?” Aaron said. “I’ve got a special-edition copy of  _ The Shaft _ .”

“You mean  _ The Shack _ ? Did you just make a dick joke about a  _ Christian fiction book _ ?” 

They were speaking in hushed whisper-yells, to avoid any of the families overhearing them. What Minhyun couldn’t control was the volume of his laughter, and his stomach ached from it. 

“No, no!” Aaron shook his head, like he thought he could still somehow make this better. “I meant  _ The Stand _ ! I made a dick joke about a Stephen King novel.” 

“That’s barely better.”

“But you forgive me anyway.”

“You think so?” 

“You’re smiling way too much for someone who’s angry.” 

“That’s because the more I think about  _ The Stand _ , the funnier this gets. You really thought using a book about a plague epidemic would be a good way to reference your dick?” 

Aaron’s face was rapidly reddening. “Can we please stop talking about my dick?” 

“Fine,” Minhyun said. “But only because you like Kwak Youngmin’s books, and that means you at least have some good taste.” 

“I’m honored you think that,” Aaron said dryly, but also with this small smile Minhyun couldn’t totally read. “Anyway, I have something to ask you. You don’t work weekends, right?” 

“Nope,” Minhyun said. Earlier in this conversation, Minhyun would have been incredibly weirded out that Aaron remembered his work schedule, but now he’d learned Aaron was nothing if not observant. “I’ve got both days off and only work in the morning on Fridays.” 

The owner of the library was a big believer in young folks having social lives. Minhyun was grateful, as the only thing that lessened the sting of one of his best friends moving away was that Minhyun could spend the occasional weekend with him. 

“I want someone who’s actually from here to show me more about the island,” Aaron said. “I’d pay for everything, if you wanted, all you have to do is show me places you think are notable about here.” 

The request was simple, and Aaron’s eyes were earnest, and he even seemed a little nervous to ask. And maybe it was all of that that influenced Minhyun’s choice, or maybe it was how well the dinner had gone and how Minhyun’s stomach still ached from laughing so hard earlier, but  Minhyun barely even thought about it before he agreed. 

“This is just like in--wait, have you read  _ Rulebreaker _ ?” 

“Tell me about it.” 

“I don’t want to spoil it.” Minhyun was a big believer of consuming books without their plotlines ruined. Aaron motioned him onward anyway. 

“Fine. Okay, so Joel’s in America, right? And he’d been kidnapped, but he manages to escape. Except, he’s still in bumfuck nowhere so he flags down a car and has to travel with this disillusioned coal miner, while hiding his true identity--” 

“Is this a long way of telling me you think I’m hiding my true identity?” Aaron asked. 

Fuck. Goddammit. Minhyun was an idiot.

Aaron waved him off before he stumbled through a poor answer. He laughed. “In that case, I’ll tell you”--He leaned in closer and fixed Minhyun with a Cheshire Cat grin --”You’re not wrong.” 

  
  


MINHYUN’S OBSERVATION NOTEBOOK

Fact 4: Fuck. 

  
  


“What if he’s a serial killer?” Minki asked.

“I don’t think he is,” Minhyun said. “Serial killers have to be…” Meticulous. Charming. Finely honed to recognize details. “Smart.” 

“You just like him because he told you he likes that same stupid author. That could totally be a lie, by the way.” 

“It wasn’t a lie.” 

“He asked you to go somewhere alone with him for an entire day? And you agreed? Knowing that Aaron’s going to commit crimes?”

“It was a spur of the moment thing,” Minhyun protested. He liked to think he’d just gotten really into seducing Aaron. Of course, that was as much of a lie as when Minhyun said he didn’t think Aaron was smart. 

“I’m more surprised you agreed to anything that doesn’t have every minute planned since a month ago,” Jonghyun said. 

“I give Dongho my unstructured time too.”

“You’ve known Dongho since you were a baby. He doesn’t count. And anyway, this doesn’t change the fact that Aaron is literally the most suspicious person I’ve ever met.”

“You’re the one who told me to do what Joel Lee would do,” Minhyun grumbled, even though he had to admit he’d had a suspicious lack of Joel Lee thoughts in his head when he’d agreed to join Aaron on the trip. 

“Joel Lee has a gun.”

“Please don’t get murdered,” Jonghyun added.

“It’ll be fine,” Minhyun said. 

“This is reminding me of a book.” Minki made an exaggerated thinking face. Minhyun knew nothing good would come from this. “Oh right, it’s literally every book about murder ever, when the victim is like  _ ‘no worries, I can totally go off alone in the woods with some creep and nothing bad will happen _ ’” Minki pitched his victim-voice high and squeaky, and paired it with some fluttering eyelashes. 

“We’re not going to  _ the woods _ . Really, the only thing I’ll be subjected to is bad pickup lines.” Minhyun hadn’t been able to stop replaying his and Aaron’s conversation from earlier in his head. At least if Aaron was going to destroy everything they held near and dear, he was being funny beforehand. 

“Oh my god, you enjoy it, don’t you?” Minki asked. “What happened to Aaron being the most annoying person you’ve ever met?” 

“He’s charming,” Minhyun defended. “And funny. Kind-of. In a dumb way.” 

“Okay, cool. Fine. You go with Aaron,” Minki said. “Just one question: can I have your massive perfume collection once you’re dead?” 

Minhyun scowled. “I’ll be fine.” 

MINHYUN’S OBSERVATION NOTEBOOK

Fact 5:  ~~ Holy shit Aaron has a nice car ~~ Aaron’s car isn’t inconspicuous enough for him to be a spy, and therefore he isn’t one. 

Fact 6: Aaron looks really really nice while driving with the windows down and his hand on the gear shift and his eyes trained on the less-traveled roads. Such observations are allowable as Aaron is not a spy. 

Fact 7: The bags in Aaron’s car can be classified as follows: (1) laptop bag; (1) backpack; (1) bag of suspicious nature. The bag of suspicious nature was potentially bomb-shaped, but before the ride began, Aaron pulled a soda out of it, so it was probably fine. 

  
  


From: Minki

hey are u dead yet?

From: Dongho

Should i be worried that minki asked me if i wanna be executor of your estate bc youre about to die???

??????????????????????

minhyun??

  
  


From: Jonghyun

If he tries anything channel ur inner one punch man

(also call the police)

  
  
  


From: Minki

Shit are u rlly dead?

If u are ill make a bonfire of all those books u like in ur honor

But also pls dont be dead

  
  


Minhyun was, in fact, not dead, though he had considered dying only a minute into the trip. Aaron had gotten into the driver’s seat and immediately pulled out his wallet-- thin black leather, organized, super sexy, Minhyun-approved--

Then he ruined it, because as Minhyun watched, he pulled out his library card and passed it to Minhyun. 

Before Minhyun could even ask, Aaron grinned and went, “I’d like to check you out for the next day, if that’s okay.” 

“I’m not an object.”

If anything, Aaron’s smile had grown. “Not that kind of checking out,” he had said, and he had had the gall to run his eyes down Minhyun’s body. Minhyun instantly became aware of the position of every portion of his body. His hands on his thighs, shoulders no longer parallel to the seat behind him. He had twisted around to face Aaron. Minhyun flicked the card back at Aaron even as he awkwardly lifted a hand like he could hide his flaming ears. 

Aaron had laughed, and the ride had started, and now here they were. The day was gray, with only the occasional peek of the sun through the layers of thick, dirty-white cloud. The dampened light turned the green of the nearby fields dull, until it smeared into the dusty brown earth below. Thin white buildings with bright shingle roofs--orange-red, a pretty teal--lined the street. 

The occasional store or marketplace flew by, and the occasional person stopped to stare, or perhaps shake their head. Aaron’s red Camaro screamed tourist: flashy; fast; loud; annoying. Minhyun had partaken in enough conversations about similar people and cars and how tourists were  _ like that. _

Despite Aaron’s previous assertion that Minhyun would get to pick their locations, Aaron had told him he wanted to see the peace observatory. Minhyun chose to believe that wasn’t anything sketchy, even though it fit Minki’s original suspicions: that the United States thought they could trespass here to spy on North Korea. Tourists always went there, Minhyun tried to remember, and Aaron was a tourist. 

The further out into the less inhabited parts of the island they traveled, the more Minhyun wondered if he’d made a mistake. Aaron had practically admitted to Minhyun he was hiding who he really was, and still Minhyun came on this trip. 

“Are you going to stare at me the entire time?” Aaron asked. 

Minhyun blinked. He’d had his neck twisted to watch Aaron for so long it now had a crick. “I’m trying to figure you out,” he said. 

“Yeah? How’s that going?” About as well as Minhyun was ignoring the slight upturn to Aaron’s lips.

(Fact 8: Aaron impeded Minhyun’s attempts to figure him out by having a stupidly pretty mouth.) 

Minhyun could turn the radio up--it was playing Aaron’s music, a mix of Korean and English, songs with various combinations of R&B and pop, plus the occasional jazz instrumental. He didn’t want to take the easy way out though. Minhyun wanted to keep his plans moving forward. That meant getting information out of Aaron. 

Joel Lee would use Aaron’s interest in Minhyun against him. It sounded easy, but in practice, Minhyun couldn’t think of a single damn thing to say. 

“Where are you staying?” Minhyun asked. Ganghwa-do wasn’t big enough to warrant an overnight trip anywhere, so Minhyun figured Aaron must plan to return to his hotel afterward. 

“The Beachy Motel,” Aaron said. He snuck a look at Minhyun and ran his hand through his hair before returning it to the steering wheel. Minhyun stared back incredulously. 

“You’re staying at a love motel?” Saying the words aloud got a startled laugh from himself. 

“It’s cheap!” Aaron protested. “And it’s nice. Really. It’s just, it’s also got mirrors on the ceiling.”

Motels were also easier to pay with cash at. Minhyun didn’t know how to categorize this new knowledge. Aaron really was traveling like he wanted to stay on the down-low and gather information without leaving a trace.

Or he was ninety-ninety percent of the time. What made Minhyun different? 

“Tell me what’s happening in _ Stand Down _ ,” Aaron said. “Or have you finished it?” 

“I’ve--I’ve been busy,” Minhyun said. Yeah, stressing over Aaron. “Why do you like me telling you so much about that book anyway?” 

“Don’t you like when people tell you about books you really enjoyed?” 

Well, yeah. But Minhyun was a librarian. He was different. And the way Aaron talked made it seem like he wanted a page-by-page analysis. 

“Amy just called Joel and told him she has new information by him, but she found out someone was tracking their call while she did it. They’re worried it was the killer.”

Aaron hummed. He had this odd, tiny smile on his lips; the same thing he got whenever he seemed to know something Minhyun didn’t. Minhyun narrowed his eyes at him. Shockingly, the new perspective didn’t clear anything up, but rather made Aaron look a little blurry. 

They were nearly there. Aaron was now following the road signs rather than the GPS, as they pointed him toward the parking lot. He made a final turn, and the observatory appeared like a castle from a thick fog. 

At least half of it was glass. The windows were tall and curved, rising several stories and staring out over the water. Wind pulled at Minhyun’s hair, and after a moment of deliberation, he tucked his jacket in his arms. Yes, it was warm out, but Minhyun knew how the wind could get here.

Aaron stuck with his black t-shirt and cap. “Are you excited?” he asked Minhyun. He freed a thin black notebook from his bag and clicked a similarly black pen a few times. 

“I haven’t been here in forever,” Minhyun said. He stopped by occasionally to take photos, as there were a couple interesting sculptures around, and sometimes tourists were fun. “I thought you wanted to go where the locals go.” 

“This is a different kind of research.” 

Minhyun didn’t know what to make of that, but Aaron didn’t give him long to think about it. He gripped Minhyun’s hand and led him closer to the observatory. 

Aaron’s grip was strong, but the way he led Minhyun was gentle. Minhyun kept forgetting that this was a date, but every time Aaron did something like this, he was forcibly reminded. His heart banged against the confines of his chest. Aaron's thumb ran over the back of Minhyun's hand. 

Rather than going straight toward the observatory, Aaron led them around the side. He let go of Minhyun’s hands in favor of opening his notebook and writing a couple quick notes. Minhyun did his best to read them, but on top of how the notes were stream-of-consciousness, they were also scrawled down sloppily.

Aaron was frowning.

“What’s wrong?” Minhyun asked. 

“I made a mistake. I thought if someone planted a bomb there”--Aaron jabbed his pen toward the posterior portion of the peace observatory-- “the land here was steep enough that that”--Now the anterior tower of glass-- “would fall in the water.” 

It was obvious that wouldn’t happen. There was way too much land in between them and the water. 

“Is it a problem? That it won’t?” Minhyun was channeling his inner-Joel quite well. He wasn’t (outwardly) freaking out because Aaron admitted to wanting to blow up the Ganghwa-do Peace Observatory. He was asking calm questions while Aaron had his brow furrowed and a tight frown. 

“I...I can figure it out.” Aaron blinked down at his notes. He flipped a couple pages back. Minhyun could read this one; or at least, he could infer what it was. Aaron had drawn and labelled a diagram of a bomb. “Fucking hell.” 

Aaron threw the pages open to a new one and started scrawling down quick words. Minhyun watched his pen press so hard into the pages that they ripped. Then, the pen died entirely. Aaron let out a single, well-thought-out swear. 

“I’ll get you a new one,” Minhyun said. This time, his voice shook. He swallowed dryly. 

Aaron didn’t look up as he fished his keys from his pocket and passed them to Minhyun. The tower still had his attention. 

Minhyun’s hands shook as he unlocked the Camaro. He opened the backseat, behind the driver’s side. Aaron’s bag had a whole bunch of pockets, and Minhyun wasn’t yet brave enough to truly look through it. He didn’t know what he expected to find. 

There wouldn’t be a bomb in there, right? Aaron wouldn’t travel casually with something like that. It wasn’t safe. 

He started with the smallest pocket. Might as well find Aaron’s pen first, and then look in the others. The tiniest pocket couldn’t even fit Minhyun’s entire hand inside. It didn’t have any pens, but there were a couple things in the bottom. 

Minhyun’s fingers hooked around two tiny items. The first was a thumb drive, which Minhyun put into his pocket. He’d look into that later. If he had to, he’d turn it over to the police.

The second was both odder and terrifying. It was a thin silver ring, unremarkable in almost all senses. In fact, most people likely wouldn’t think twice about it.

But Minhyun wasn’t most people. The ring had a pattern engraved in it, and a couple tiny glass diamonds embedded. One of the stones was missing. The one furthest to the left. 

This was the exact type of ring found in each victim’s mouth in  _ Stand Down _ , imperfection and all. 

Earlier, Minhyun hadn’t felt like gushing, but he had a solid guess about what was about to happen in the novel. They knew the serial killer had a grudge and a particular target chosen. Jimin had so far not been pursued, which was odd for such a meticulous killer. 

Joel had been. Minhyun didn’t know for sure yet, but he had a solid idea that the killer had misled them. He didn’t care about Jimin. He wanted to kill Joel. 

Minhyun still didn’t know what Aaron wanted with him. He pocketed the ring and zipped it again. The next pocket contained a small collection of multi-colored pens. Minhyun grabbed one. 

He’d already taken too long. Minhyun couldn’t risk making Aaron suspicious. 

Aaron didn’t seem suspicious at all when Minhyun returned. He’d calmed down, though the thin line between his eyebrows persisted. Minhyun passed him the pen, and he even said a quick ‘thank you’ before writing more. 

Minhyun watched him. He let his eyes take in every detail in a way he’d previously not allowed himself. Aaron’s thick eyebrows. The curve of his jaw. His tendency to bite on his lip as he worked. 

MINHYUN’S OBSERVATION NOTEBOOK

Fact 9: Minhyun knows enough to call the police on Aaron. In fact, that would most definitely be better. Minhyun is in far over his head.

Fact 10: Minhyun really, really doesn’t want Aaron to be a bad person. But that’s not how life works. 

Fact 11: Minhyun still doesn’t understand how he fits into everything. Does Aaron think he can convince Minhyun to hurt people? Is he just along for the ride? Is it because Aaron is using the books Kwak Youngmin wrote as a template for his own actions?

Fact 12: Kwak Youngmin has never, ever written a story that had a bomb in it. 

Aaron hadn’t treated any of his bags particularly carefully, and that meant there couldn’t be a bomb in the car. Whatever Aaron was planning, it wouldn’t happen today. That was slightly relieving, except that it didn’t put Minhyun out of danger. Aaron wouldn’t have mentioned a bomb to Minhyun unless he planned on preventing Minhyun from telling anyone about it. 

Minhyun had no way home except by way of Aaron’s car. Aaron’s loud, touristy car that would spend the majority of the ride back on nearly deserted country roads. Minhyun wouldn’t be able to defend himself there. Here, at least there were other people. 

A couple tourists passed around them. The guy had a map of the place in his hands. The woman looked very, very bored. Was Aaron really going to hurt all these people? 

Aaron let out a great breath and pocketed his pen. He opened and closed his hand a couple times to stretch it out. 

He closed the journal again, then faced Minhyun, who desperately tried to look normal. 

“Thank you for waiting for me,” Aaron said. He looked almost self-conscious, playing with the journal in his hands. Minhyun didn’t really have an answer. 

Aaron leaned forward and gently pressed his lips against Minhyun’s. The kiss was quick, but the look Aaron gave him after had him burning. 

Too bad the ring in Minhyun’s pocket burned hotter. 

  
  


Minhyun hadn’t noticed the sun’s reappearance from behind the clouds until they returned to the Camaro. It glared off the red paint, so intensely that Minhyun covered the spot with his palm as they approached. 

He hesitated behind the car as Aaron opened the backseat door. Would he notice the missing stuff? Minhyun had already promised himself to not get back in his car, and now it seemed he would break that. 

He couldn’t afford for Aaron to notice what was missing. But why would he open that small pocket now? Minhyun got into the front, and sure enough, Aaron followed. 

He looked like he belonged in the driver’s seat. Minhyun was expressly uncomfortable at his side. 

Aaron couldn’t be a bad person. What would he even gain by blowing up a peace observatory? There would be forty or fifty people max caught up in the explosion, and that was that. It would be devastating, but not the kind of devastation an American CIA agent could cause here. 

“So what do you do?” Minhyun asked. “Like, for work.” His voice almost sounded casual. 

“Freelance stuff, mostly,” Aaron said. “It’s not all that interesting.” 

“I’m interested in it.” 

But Aaron had clammed up. He focused on the car. 

Minhyun needed to do something. Whatever Aaron planned, he’d faced a set-back here today. This was Minhyun’s big chance to figure everything out before he ran out of time. 

But how could he stop Aaron from leaving now? 

Minhyun remembered the kiss. Aaron had looked at Minhyun like he wanted him. How many times had Joel Lee delayed someone by seducing them? Minhyun already had a solid start in that aspect, and it would make Aaron less guarded. 

Aaron put his hand on the gear shift. Before he could shift into reverse, Minhyun rested his hand right over top of his. Aaron seemed surprised, and before he could lower his eyebrows, Minhyun leaned across the middle and kissed him again. 

This kiss was longer, though still chaste. Minhyun’s seatbelt dug into his neck. He fumbled to undo it and then leaned even further into Aaron’s space. 

When they parted, Minhyun stayed close. He breathed quickly, his and Aaron’s breaths merging together between them. Fuck, Aaron was hot. Good thing if Joel had taught Minhyun anything, it was that finding villains sexy did not mean you agreed with their morals.

“Hi,” Aaron said softly, against Minhyun’s lips. Minhyun’s heart did something funky, and totally unwarranted. He braced himself on Aaron’s seat, so he could move himself further into Aaron’s space. The car was cramped and awkward, not to mention utterly visible to anyone walking through the parking lot. 

Minhyun gathered his willpower, then crossed the middle of the car and straddled Aaron’s lap. It wasn’t easy, nor was it comfortable. The edge of the steering wheel pressed into the small of Minhyun’s back, and his head brushed the ceiling. If he leaned back too far, he’d press the horn. 

“You have a bad car for this,” Minhyun said. He laughed breathily. Aaron didn’t seem to know what to make of him. His hands rested on Minhyun’s hips, and his lips were slightly parted. 

“You’re just too long. Seriously. What’s the point of having legs like that?” Aaron accompanied his words with a hand running down Minhyun’s thigh. “God, I can’t believe you gave me a bad time over the motel, and now you’re in my lap in the middle of a parking lot.” 

“You insinuated we’d do it in the library!” 

“Okay, I made a comment. You’re  _ in my lap _ . In a  _ parking lot _ .” 

“I would’ve thought you enjoyed it, after all the comments about checking me--” 

Aaron cut him off. Kinda. His hand had been rising and rising and rising, and now it was on Minhyun’s face. On his lips. Aaron’s thumb ran over Minhyun’s bottom lip. Heat raced through Minhyun, and settled low. 

Fuck. He really didn’t want to fuck Aaron in a parking lot, no matter what he’d started. 

Directly contrary to that, Minhyun crashed their lips together. Aaron clutched at him, molding their bodies together as best he could with their positions. The kiss was sloppy, and had Minhyun moaning into Aaron’s half-open mouth. They had to pull apart to breathe, and for Minhyun to recall that the world consisted of more than Aaron.

Aaron cursed when they parted. The bulge in Aaron’s pants was one of many signs that they should calm down--the largest of which was Minhyun’s similar arousal. 

Minhyun rested their foreheads together. 

“Aaron,” he said softly. This was where Minhyun was supposed to tease out who Aaron really was and what he did and why he was doing any of this. 

Minhyun didn’t want to do it. He was sick of the push-pull and the trying to one-up Aaron and the back-and-forth of whether he could trust Aaron or not. 

“What is it?” Aaron asked. Minhyun couldn’t resist; he ran his thumb over one of Aaron’s eyebrows. It made Aaron smile, which made him look carefree. Minhyun really liked it. 

“What are you hiding from me?” Minhyun asked. 

Minhyun still had Aaron’s ring and flash drive in his pocket.

The question didn’t seem to surprise Aaron. “I overheard you,” he admitted. “When your friends convinced you to try and figure out who I am.” 

_ What? _

“You knew?” 

“I wanted to see how far I could push you before you freaked out.”

“Asshole.” Minhyun would get off his lap as he cursed Aaron out, but this really was a small car, and Minhyun was very settled. Crab-scuttling off Aaron right now would not make the point Minhyun wanted to make. 

Aaron seemed to take Minhyun’s continuing presence on his lap as a sign of forgiveness. “You can’t blame me, right?” Aaron asked. He was running his hands up and down Minhyun’s arms. “You get flustered so easily.” 

Minhyun was definitely not flustered right now. “Wait, so you’ve been trying to seem sketchy?” 

“It comes naturally,” Aaron said, like he didn’t have the most earnest eyes Minhyun had ever seen. “Unlike flirting, for you. You’re so awkward.” 

“You weren’t complaining before,” Minhyun grumbled. “And there’s no way you were only trying to freak me out. What about the library, and the research, and the  _ bomb _ ?” 

What about the ring? 

“I am doing research here,” Aaron said. “I’m working on a book.” 

“And you just decided to  _ Woman-in-the-Window  _ me? For fun?” 

“Did you just compare yourself to Anna Fox?” 

“Originally I was shooting for Reacher. Or Rizzoli.” 

Aaron laughed. It was a big laugh, all the way up from his belly. Minhyun liked it a lot, even if it was a little mocking right now. “Not Joel Lee?” he teased. 

“Him too,” Minhyun said. “But now...I think I’ve had like three breakdowns, and I just really don’t want to be murdered.”

“So Anna Fox,” Aaron surmised. “I promise I won’t murder you.” 

“You know, I’ll take it. I still don’t know if I believe you’re a writer though.”

“For someone really into reading, you must not follow authors too closely.” 

“Nothing destroys books quicker than remembering authors are real life people,” Minhyun said instantly. “It’s better to just assume they’re all dead.” Examples A-Z: J.K. Rowling.

Aaron laughed at that. “I’m about to destroy your dreams.”

With the imminent death of his dreams looming, Minhyun elected to finally remove himself from Aaron’s lap. It was every bit as awkward of a slither as Minhyun had expected, and he nearly smacked into the gear shift. His legs had gone stiff from the position. 

“Don’t say anything,” Minhyun warned, as Aaron fondly watched him struggle. 

“Do you really not have any guesses about who I am?” 

Minhyun did. That was why he wanted to stall. Everything he had questioned so much about Aaron had fit so simply and neatly in Minhyun’s mind, the moment Aaron had called himself an author. 

“I’m trying to decide which of my favorite literary characters you’re about to ruin.” But Aaron was right, Minhyun knew exactly what he had written. When Aaron said nothing and only wore that funny little smile he wore every time Minhyun mentioned Kwak Youngmin’s books, he only grew more certain.

Aaron Kwak was Kwak Youngmin. 

When it became clear that Aaron wanted Minhyun to say it, he sighed and gave in. "Fine," he said. " I have one question: will Jimin and Joel finally admit they’re in love in the next one?” 

“What? They’re not in love?” 

Minhyun groaned and rested his head back against the headrest. “You ruined it.”

“What made you think they’re in love?” Aaron protested. “They argue all the time?”

“Sexual tension!” Minhyun countered. “They care about each other--”

“--because they’re friends--”

“This is what I get for liking an author who’s not dead yet.” 

“You don’t mean that,” Aaron teased. “I think you’re my biggest fan.”

“And yet you wrote something other than what I wanted,” Minhyun said. “I'm so tempted to make a _Misery_ joke.” 

Aaron laughed, startled. "I'm very glad that's a line you're not going to cross." 

“You almost did it first.” 

“You’re taking all of this really well," Aaron said.

If Minhyun was taking this well, it was only because he’d previously thought Aaron had plans to murder people. “Were you also joking about Joel and Jimin not having any chemistry?” 

“They’ve never even kissed!” 

“Exactly! They’ve both made it explicitly clear that the other matters too much to them to casually sleep with. That’s the most romantic thing I’ve ever seen.” 

“Or…” Aaron drew the word out. “They’re not interested in each other like that.” 

“Maybe you’re not actually Kwak Youngmin, because now I don’t even think you've read the books.”

“Do you have  _ Stand Down?” _ Aaron asked. Despite his better judgment, Minhyun fumbled through his bag for it. He passed it to Aaron, who showed him the small photo of himself on the back cover. “I kept hoping you’d finish this and put everything together.”

Minhyun tried to imagine how he would have reacted to flipping the final page and seeing Aaron’s face. “I would be done with it by now if you hadn’t been so suspicious.”

“Hey, I didn’t make you try and investigate me.”

“Will you at least name a character after me now? The clever local librarian who helps Joel out?”

Aaron snorted. “I don’t name characters after real people.” 

“Why not?” 

“Been there, done that, and my best friend _still_ insists I owe my entire career to him.” Aaron rolled his eyes. "Let's not talk about it. I have something more important to tell you."

“Yeah?”

“I’m falling for you faster than my bank account falls after I go to a bookstore.”

Minhyun looked at him witheringly. “Support your local library.”

Aaron grinned. “How about my local librarian?”

  
  


This was just like in  _ Red Lily _ , when Joel and Jimin staked out a technology firm said to have stumbled onto the fundamental basics of time travel. Whatever about that, though, because it didn’t matter. The important part was that as the past, present, and future blended together, Joel and Jimin had talked under the light of the moon. Jimin had finally told Joel about her past. How she’d ended up at the agency. How in so many ways, her life paralleled Joel’s.

And Joel… Joel realized how he’d previously been blind, because Jimin was more than a colleague to him…

Or at least it would have reminded Minhyun of that, if Aaron hadn’t ruined everything. 

Aaron picked the restaurant this time. He’d decided by going “where have you never been?” and waiting until Minhyun pointed out a restaurant he didn’t recognize. 

It was fun. Aaron’s method was a far cry from how Minhyun normally selected new things, and if anything, reminded Minhyun of how Dongho ran things whenever Minhyun stayed with him. But while with Dongho it was enjoyable yet exhausting, with Aaron it was electrifying. 

Enough so that when Aaron returned Minhyun to his apartment, Minhyun asked if he’d like some coffee. You know, wink, wink. Minhyun didn’t even own a coffee pot. 

“Only if you take off the Jesus bracelet,” Aaron replied. Minhyun had forgotten about it. He looked down at the cheap beads and elastic and tiny crosses, and decided the truth was far more embarrassing than what Aaron thought.

“Deal,” he said. 

  
  


Minhyun’s apartment was small and immaculate, one of four on top of a convenience store, and within walking distance to the library. Aaron took the time to give it a once-over but little more.

“Better than your love motel?” Minhyun asked, even though Aaron was giving Minhyun a Look. Minhyun wasn’t often one to do these things, no matter what recent events insinuated, and so Minhyun didn’t quite know how to describe this Look. He imagined it was rather similar to the one he’d given Aaron earlier.

Minhyun didn’t know which of them finally snapped and crossed the distance between them, but the next thing Minhyun knew, Aaron’s lips were against his. This time, circumstance didn’t stick Aaron with few options of how to move, and he was instantly taking advantage of that. It was clear from the start that he relished each and every reaction he got from Minhyun. 

Minhyun didn’t even realize they were moving until his back hit his closed door. Aaron didn’t give Minhyun a chance to recover, so Minhyun was slouched against the wood with Aaron’s demanding, giving lips against his. Aaron caged him in between his arms. 

His eyes traveled over Minhyun’s face like he never wanted to forget it. “You’re so--” he said, but didn’t finish, instead telling Minhyun with his lips. It was a rush, a power trip. Minhyun liked taking the words away from an author. 

Aaron threaded their fingers together. He squeezed gently, and finally, Minhyun opened his eyes. Aaron squeezed Minhyun’s hands again, then pressed them gently against the door, on either side of Minhyun’s head. 

Minhyun couldn’t breathe. From here, Aaron was a simple, sweet smell. He was the small moles on his face. Minhyun could count them, but that meant not kissing Aaron for a little longer. He nipped at Aaron’s lower lip and pulled at it gently. The grip on his hands tightened. 

Aaron was silky hair and hot breath and surprisingly intimate touches that made Minhyun’s heart do more than he’d bargained for. He stroked Minhyun’s cheek with a single finger. Minhyun leaned into his touch and let his eyes flutter shut.

He moaned, surprised when Aaron pressed their bodies more firmly together. Aaron kissed him, only to break it and tilt his head back when Minhyun rolled his hips against Aaron’s. Minhyun liked the lines of Aaron’s neck, the even smaller moles dotted across it. 

Aaron was driving Minhyun crazy. The sweaty neck. The red cheeks. The way his lips were parted, his shirt stretched open enough to reveal the side of his collarbone. 

There was no way to look at Aaron and not see the evidence of what they’d been doing. He had a fire in his eyes, simmering, and dangerous, and something Minhyun could fall into and not touch the bottom. His lips were slick, his hair mussed. Minhyun was overtaken by the urge to touch. 

If the first kisses were gentle, and the second ones deep, this one was rough. Minhyun pulled Aaron tighter against him, and he could feel Aaron’s cock against his thigh. He squeezed Aaron’s ass, and then Aaron was grinding their hips together. Aaron’s lips were sweet, but his neck was salty. Minhyun lingered there, kissing and biting at the sensitive skin until Aaron was gasping above him, until Aaron’s hand found Minhyun’s hair, and gripped it tight enough to sting. 

Aaron pulled Minhyun off his neck and forced their lips back together. Minhyun far from minded Aaron taking control. 

“To your room?” Aaron asked. Again, he touched Minhyun’s face. It was so gentle, so controlled. Everything Minhyun wasn’t. He whined softly, in the back of his throat. 

“That depends,” Minhyun said breathlessly. He waited for Aaron’s eyebrows to furrow before he finished, “how mad would you get if I called you Joel Lee?” 

“I would leave.” 

“Okay, okay, fine.” Minhyun led the way into his room. Right as Aaron was closing the door behind him, Minhyun added, “What about Youngmin?”

Aaron immediately screwed his face into a grimace. “Only my dad calls me that.” 

“Oh,  _ God _ . Okay. Aaron it is.”

“You’re the worst,” Aaron said simply. Then he took his shirt off.

Minhyun took it from his hands and folded it. He set it on his desk, ignoring Aaron’s incredulity, then did the same to his own shirt. Minhyun was just beginning to work on his belt when Aaron grabbed his hand and stopped him.

“Let me,” Aaron said. Minhyun shivered at his tone. Aaron’s hands were quick to undo Minhyun’s belt, and then Aaron was lowering himself to his knees and taking Minhyun’s pants with him. Minhyun’s hand clutched the corner of his desk. His breath stuck in his throat. Aaron’s mouth was impossibly close to Minhyun’s cock. 

“What,” Aaron said. His lips were swollen and wet. His lips were so damn close to where Minhyun wanted them. “You’re not going to fold your pants too?” 

Minhyun whimpered, and Aaron seemed to like it. He was smiling as he freed Minhyun’s cock from his briefs, smiling as he gripped it in his hand, smiling as he took in how desperate Minhyun was, still grasping his desk like a lifeline, still burning to death despite it.

Aaron only stopped smiling when he took Minhyun’s cock in his mouth. He held Minhyun’s gaze as he licked up and down, and then he was sucking the head into his mouth and stroking the base. He gripped Minhyun’s hip with one hand.

As Aaron focused on the head of Minhyun’s cock, he also rubbed comforting circles into Minhyun’s skin. As he hollowed his cheeks and sucked hard, his touch was gentle. The combination was driving Minhyun mad. Aaron only tightened his grip when Minhyun’s hips threatened to jerk forward, chasing the heat of Aaron’s mouth. 

He kept going until Minhyun’s thighs were shaking, until his breathing was uneven and audible, and he had to grab Aaron’s hair and pull to warn him, because Minhyun didn’t have a voice for anything but low grunts and moans anymore. He was so impossibly close, and Aaron’s mouth was so impossibly good, and-- Minhyun whined as Aaron stopped.

He understood why, but that didn’t mean he had to like it. Minhyun squeezed his eyes shut as his near-orgasm faded. He tasted himself on Aaron’s lips, and kissed him until he only tasted Aaron again. 

Minhyun’s hand worked its way into Aaron’s briefs. He thumbed at the head of Aaron’s cock, using the precum to stroke him more easily. Aaron shuddered in Minhyun’s arms. 

Minhyun wanted to give him something good. Something better than a handjob while standing, even though the way Aaron grabbed at Minhyun’s arm to keep himself stable was so fucking hot. 

Minhyun directed Aaron to his bed, then found the lube and condoms he kept in his bathroom. Aaron had settled back on the bed, now with his pants and briefs entirely removed. Minhyun uncapped the bottle with a loud pop. He stroked Aaron a couple more times, until Aaron was shaking and digging his fingers into Minhyun’s arms. Minhyun was dizzy from breathing Aaron’s air, from having Aaron under him. 

Finally, Minhyun pulled back. As Aaron put the condom on himself, Minhyun made quick work of stretching himself. He tried to give Aaron a good view of his fingers disappearing into his ass, of the way he moaned when he found his own prostrate. Aaron splayed his hand over Minhyun’s chest. He tried stroking Minhyun’s cock, but it was too much. 

“You-- _ Aaron _ ,” Minhyun managed. His hips chased Aaron’s touch, but the warning worked. Minhyun almost regretted it. His cock was aching, pressed against his belly. He wasn’t going to last much longer. 

Then, finally, Minhyun was positioning himself and sinking down onto Aaron’s cock. The stretch was complete, Aaron’s cock reaching deep inside him. Aaron’s fingers dug into the muscles of Minhyun’s back as they waited for Minhyun to adjust. He shifted, and even the slightest movement made them both moan. 

“You good?” Aaron asked gently. Minhyun didn’t possess any words anymore, and so he answered by rolling his hips. Aaron dug his nails into Minhyun's skin and groaned, and then Minhyun was moving faster. Aaron couldn’t seem to figure out what to do with his hands--first they gripped Minhyun’s back, and then his hips, and then they were cupping Minhyun’s face in a gesture that was much, much too loving as Minhyun moaned and bounced on his cock. Aaron started meeting his thrusts, his cock sliding even deeper against Minhyun’s prostrate. 

Minhyun interlocked their fingers together and pressed their hands on either side of Aaron’s head. They both squeezed hard, and then Aaron’s rhythm was breaking and he was coming inside Minhyun. Minhyun swallowed Aaron’s moan and kept their lips pressed together as he stroked himself. 

Overwhelmed to the greatest degree, Minhyun came after only a few strokes. He collapsed against Aaron, who brushed his fingers through Minhyun’s sweaty, sweaty hair. Minhyun let his eyes flutter shut, content to stay right there on Aaron’s chest. 

At least, until Aaron nudged him. Minhyun whispered a protest, and Aaron huffed out a laugh. “You’re heavy,” he said, and sure enough, his voice was strained. Minhyun did have his entire weight plopped on Aaron’s chest. 

With a groan, Minhyun lifted himself off Aaron’s cock with shaky, tired arms. He’d yet to entirely regain his breath. Under him, Aaron was messy, sated,  _ beautiful--  _ Minhyun couldn’t resist one more long, slow kiss. His body was gross, and he’d regret this in the morning, but Minhyun didn’t get up to shower. Instead, he curled up against Aaron, now with only the weight of his head on Aaron’s chest, and enjoyed how Aaron drew tiny circles on Minhyun’s skin.

MINHYUN’S OBSERVATION NOTEBOOK

Fact 13: Don’t forget your phone in the car when out with a guy your friends think is possibly a murderer, or the police WILL knock on your door at 5 A.M. 

Fact 14: Aaron is very lucky few people are considered better character references than the local librarian. 

Fact 15: Aaron kinda deserved that one, and he knows it.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed!! catch me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/onlystr84jongup) and [curiouscat.](https://curiouscat.me/onlystr84jongup)


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